Your Lap is so Very Comfortable
by Robin Red R
Summary: Whether it's relaxing before the fire, playing videogames with his bro, tanning at the beach… even on missions for crying out loud, Dick's head inevitably finds itself in Wally's lap. Wally can't help but think things… things he probably should not be. Very fluffy. Slash: Rob/KF Pre-Invasion.
1. Brr

**Title: **Your Lap is so Very Comfortable

**Rating: **T

**Warning: **Slash (Boy/boy), language, and suggestive themes.

**Summary: **Whether it's relaxing before the fire, playing videogames with his bro, tanning at the beach… even on missions for crying out loud, Dick's head inevitably finds itself in Wally's lap. Wally can't help but think things… things he probably should not be. Slash: Rob/KF. [Pre-Invasion.]

**Author's Note: **Pfft, horrible summary. Hopefully the fic is better. So, due to popular demand, you guys wanted me to write this one first. Hope you like it XD For those who haven't yet, be sure to check out the poll on my profile! It's in your interest.

I just wanted to say a thank you to all the lovely reviews I got on my last few fics, especially "What's in a Name?", as well as to all the people who added me to their author alert/favorites. I really appreciate your support, guys! It means a lot 3

**Disclaimer: **-Insert witty way of saying I don't own a thing-

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**Your Lap Is So Very Comfortable – Part I**

**~x~**

_{Mount Justice,_

_January 18, 07:24 p.m. EDT}_

"Oh _fuck, _it is _cold _out there!" Wally shot through the zeta tubes, starting to run before he had even fully materialized. He realized that was probably a bad idea as a weird tingly feeling shot through his body, like when one's foot falls asleep. He knew it did happen sometimes that the tubes could malfunction and send the teleporting person over in separate stages, and separate pieces. A very unpleasant situation indeed… Now, being a speedster, he knew his molecular structure was quite different from non-metas, but still. He probably should wait till he was entirely _there _before he started moving. He skidded to a stop and inspected his body for some visible damage.

His fingertips burned, but that was most likely due to the way-below freezing temperatures outside. Seriously, it was so cold! Sure, it was January and this was New England, but still. It shouldn't be this cold. He wished he could head back to Keystone City where it was a good ten degrees warmer. Actually, he might as well just head for Africa or somewhere near the equator for a beach vacation. He grinned; being the Fastest Boy Alive kind of had its advantages.

He pulled off his fingerless gloves (yeah, he should probably buy some woolen _mittens _next time), his hat, and his coat all at superspeed and dumped them on the floor next to the zeta entrance. Someone else would probably pick them up anyway.

"Wally, _language," _chorused three girls' voices from the kitchen, before turning into a fit of giggles. The redhead stopped in his beeline towards the fridge and looked up in surprise. He had thought for some reason Mount Justice would be empty, but apparently not.

M'gann was currently floating up by the top cupboards, pulling out flour and sugar and other stuff Wally didn't know the name of. Well, you couldn't blame him! He'd never so much as touched a pan before. He ate food, a lot of food, but that didn't mean he had ever made it himself. No, Wally was no cook. The most he had ever made himself was a sandwich; he left everything else to his mom, Aunt Iris, or Alfred when he was at Dick's (which happened pretty often, he had to admit.)

Zatanna was standing below the Martian holding a rather crumpled piece of paper, and was reading off a list of ingredients. Artemis was leaning against the island counter, flipping through a cookbook.

"Yeah, yeah, I swore- clean out your ears. You all don't know how cold it is out there, just saying!" He waved a hand casually. "What are you guys doing?" Wally then asked, opening the fridge and rummaging through it for some snack.

"Girls night out," Artemis replied, hardly sparing the redhead a glance. "That means you, Baywatch, get out," she added. Wally purposefully ignored her. The kitchen was a public place; she herself could just 'get out'.

"We're baking an apple pie!" answered M'gann excitedly, touching down on the floor next to Zatanna. Various bags, bottles and shiny apples floated around her head. She brought them to rest on the counter top with a flick of her wrist.

"Okay, so, it says to preheat the oven to three-hundred and sixty degrees," Zatanna remarked, eyeing the paper in her hand. "Should I do that?"

"An apple pie! Oh goodie. Tell me when it's ready won't you, beautiful?" the speedster told M'gann, eyeing her appreciatively. She merely smiled at him.

"Of course, we'll call everyone." It may have only been his imagination, but it sounded like she put some kind of emphasis on the last word… "Yes, Zatanna, go ahead. Do you know how to set the dials?"

"Excuse me?" cut in Artemis, looking up from her examination of the cookbook. "Why should _he _get to stuff his face after _we_ spend three hours making it?"

"Oh, so you want me to help you? No problem. Baking a pie with you three lovely girls…" Wally sighed dreamily and winked at her. Artemis looked disgusted.

"You touch anything on this table with your grimy fingers and I'm shoving an arrow up your ass," the archer snapped back, closing the cook book sharply. Wally scowled at her.

"Artemis, _language,_" he scoffed in an imitation of their earlier banter. He knew she was fully capable of carrying out her threat if she really wanted too, but that didn't stop him from retorting. Ignoring her murderous expression, he pulled out a few chocolate bars, (not finding anything else appealing in the fridge), and proceeded to 'stuff his face' as Artemis had dubbed it.

"Wally can help if he wan—" M'gann started, attempting to resolve the conflict in the only way she knew how.

"**NO!**" Zatanna and Artemis cried out simultaneously, sending the green-skinned girl looks of disbelieving shock.

"_Girls _night out, remember?" Artemis amended after a moment, feeling bad by the hurt look on M'gann's face.

"Wally, why don't you go hang out with Connor or Kaldur, they're in their rooms," Zatanna suggested, turning to the speedster who was glaring at them with crossed arms. Geeze, they just couldn't wait to get rid of him, could they? Was he _that _unappealing? He huffed and turned away, grabbing another chocolate bar for later as he did so. Girls night out? Lame.

'**Recognized: Robin B-0-1' **echoed the zeta-tube's disembodied voice.

"Robbie!" Wally shot forward, ready to engulf his best friend in a hug. He, of course, tripped over the pile of clothes he had discarded earlier and landed face-first on the floor in front of a pair of black combat boots. He winced, hearing the three girls sniggering behind him.

"Aw man, that hurts…" the redhead grumbled, scrambling ungainly to his feet and clutching his nose. He didn't know which hurt more right now; his nose or his pride. Judging by the skeptically raised eyebrow on Robin's face, it was the latter.

"Smooth, KF, smooth," Robin snickered, before running a hand through his hair. Wally didn't miss the sparkle of white fluff that dusted the top of his head, easily visible against his ebony colored hair.

"Dude, is it snowing!?" Wally exclaimed, rushing over to the back entrance that opened onto the beach, flinging open the door. He looked up expectantly, but there were no snow clouds in the sky and there was no white fluff getting stuck in his hair. He shivered and slammed the door shut, rubbing his hands together to warm himself up again. Yeah, it was way too cold outside to snow anyway; he should have known that. Any kind of water in this temperature would turn straight to ice, not snow.

He returned to the main room in time to see Robin hanging up his coat and hat on the coatrack. See? He knew someone was going to pick up his stuff sometime or other. He just hadn't expected to trip all over it and humiliate himself in front of everyone before someone did, but whatever.

"KF, it's snowing in _Gotham," _Robin said without even turning around, eyeing Wally's clichéd colored red and yellow hat. Thankfully, he didn't comment.

"Yeah, I just realized that…" Wally replied glumly. "Dude, do you see how cold it is here? That's just not normal. I hope they hurry up and finish that apple pie because I could really use it," he added, jabbing a thumb in the direction of the kitchen.

"They're making an apple pie? Awesome." Robin turned with a swish of his cape and headed into the dimly-lit hallway that led to their rooms. Wally only just now realized that the kid was still in his uniform. No surprise really, he knew Robin was often patrolling separately with Batman outside of team missions. He was part of the Dynamic Duo, after all. Wally noticed a jagged cut in Robin's cape that showed some parts of his body that one normally didn't see. He wondered vaguely why _that _particular piece of information was impressed upon him, but shoved that thought quickly out of his head. The younger boy tapped the code swiftly into the keypad in front of his door and padded inside. Wally followed him without even thinking, still complaining.

"You have no idea how glad I am you got here, Rob! Zatanna was going to make me hang out with Connor and Kaldur for the entire evening while they sat there baking a pie. I mean, nothing against Supey and Kal, but come on. They're not exactly the best of company. Sheesh, and they had to be so nasty about it too. Even Zatanna, and she is usually _nice _to me, unlike certain needs to take a chill pill once in a while, not even kidding. Hey, can you, like, hack into the heaters here and turn the thermostat up? It's freaking January and it's like negative fifty out there, but it's still _reeeally _chilly in here. Isn't this is supposed to be a high-tech base or something; can't they at least keep us thawed? Oh right, Red Tornado is a robot and Batman is a cold-blooded animal so I guess not. Not like they can stand to turn up the heat just a little bit to keep us warm. No, we work our asses off training and saving the world but we can't even get a nice warm place to put up our feet once in a while." Wally rambled on, taking a long-suffering sigh, and rubbing his hands together again to emphasize his point.

Robin had taken off his utility belt and was inspecting was looked like a blood spatter on it. He whipped out a handkerchief and wiped it off. As Wally paused for breath in his incessant monologue, Batman's protégé turned to look at him with an exasperated expression.

"Does the cold, like, loosen up your vocal chords or something?" he asked, smirking in amusement. "Because you really are not shutting up. Oh, and since when is Batman a 'cold-blooded animal'?" he added, unclasping his cape and draping it over the swivel chair in front of his computer monitors. Wally huffed.

"We-el, you know what I mean. But, seriously… can you turn the heat up?"

"Can _you _get out of my room so I can get changed?" Robin retorted, pointing to the door. Wally blinked for a moment, then made his way meekly out of the Boy Wonder's room. So much for that… he'd just have to find some other way of getting warm. He leaned against the wall and fiddled with the zipper on his jacket while he waited for Robin to wash up and get changed into his civilian clothes.

Suddenly he heard a crashing sound from inside the closed room and Robin's muffled voice saying: "Oh for the love of Batman…" Wally frowned.

"Rob? Everything okay?" he called, but there was no reply. He shrugged; Robin could take care of himself, he was Robin. He pulled out the chocolate bar he had been saving. It had been a whole _fifteen minutes_ since he had last eaten; definitively time to fuel up. He demolished the bar in a few seconds, licking off his chocolaty fingers. As a result, he didn't notice the door opposite him sliding open soundlessly.

"_Psst._ Wally." The said boy looked up quickly, and froze. Because… there was a little blue-eyed Dick Grayson peering through the crack in the door, beckoning him forward. Yeah, _blue-eyed Dick Grayson. _He wasn't wearing his mask, or his sunglasses. Wally stared at him in disbelief. He hadn't seen Dick without his shades on since the day he told him who he really was.

Dick rolled his eyes at the redhead's frozen state, (and Wally internally danced because he could actually _see _it for once), and cast a swift glance down the hallway to make sure it was empty. He stepped out, grabbed Wally by the front of his shirt and yanked him roughly into his room where he landed sprawling on the floor. Dick closed the door with a definitive 'click' behind him.

"Well now… what did I do to deserve _this_?" Wally said charmingly, indicating Dick's bare face. He rolled onto his back and smiled up at Dick from the floor. His smile turned into a grin seeing the younger boy's ears turn a pretty shade of pink.

"_You _didn't do anything, Kid I've-got-an-ego-bigger-than-my-head. _That _is what happened," Dick bit back, pointing accusingly at something on the floor next to Wally. The speedster sat up and looked down at what appeared to be the shattered remains of a pair of sunglasses. The dark glass lay is several fragments on the carpeted floor, and a few broken wires stuck up into the air. "I stepped on my shades," the boy elaborated, sullenly. Wally tried to, and failed to, suppress a laugh. Dick's face was just priceless.

"Don't you have a spare?" he managed to choke out finally, shrinking back slightly from the murderous bat-glare directed towards him.

"Those were the spares of the spares…" Dick replied, heaving a sigh. "I ran over my _real pair_ a few weeks ago with my R-Cycle. They kind of fell out of my pocket when I was leaving the Batcave, and when I came back I didn't see them until it was too late. I threw my _spares_ at Poison Ivy the other day on patrol… and now I stepped on _these_. I don't have any left…" He groaned. "This is so not asterous." Dick glared down accusingly at the shards of dark glass as if it was all their fault.

"…Ok_aa_y… May I ask whyyou chucked your spares at Ivy?" Wally was still trying not to laugh. He had a mental image of Robin throwing his glasses in a temper tantrum at Poison Ivy while she was trying to wrap him up in vines and it was incredibly hilarious. Dick reached a hand down to help Wally up, and then plopped down on the bed. Wally moved what looked like a half-finished circuit board out of the way and sat down next to him.

"Um, well… even Robin gets the pockets of his utility belt mixed up sometimes," Dick finally replied, grinning sheepishly. Wally raised an eyebrow questioningly. That was one thing he had never expected to hear coming out of Robin's mouth. "I had just re-ordered it and all, kind of a 'spring cleaning', you know? You would not believe what kind of junk there was floating around in there… Anyway, I kind of forgot in the middle of the battle that I had changed that pocket so… so yeah. It was supposed to be a birdarang." Dick finally gave in and let out a chuckle.

"Bet Bats was pissed," Wally said sympathetically. Dick laughed.

"Pretty much." They then lapsed into a comfortable silence. Wally, though, couldn't keep his eyes off of Dick's face, no matter how much he tried. He was just so used to seeing them covered with a domino mask or his typical shades; it looked so… weird when he was without them. He looked so much younger… And then his eyes, of course. Wally was quite sure that that exact shade of blue was not supposed to be an eye color. He had seen all kinds of blue eyes: icy blue eyes like Connor's, pale baby-blue like those hot blonde chicks at school, greenish blue, grayish blue… but not _this _kind of blue. Clear, dark blue, like the ocean at noon from the Caribbean. Like, crystally dark blue with a million different shades. They were, (Wally blushed), quite attractive. Not to mention that they just looked great with his dark hair and fair complexion.

"Dude, uh… stop staring at me..." Wally realized that Dick had been looking right back at him the whole time he had been formulating these thoughts. The tension in the room suddenly became palpable. He sincerely hoped he had not been thinking aloud as he sometimes did. The redhead turned a color that almost matched his hair, and looked quickly away.

"I'm just… not used to it…" he mumbled, glancing back at the shattered shades on the floor. Yeah, he _really _hoped he hadn't been thinking aloud. Dick did _not _need to hear that. "What are we going to do?" he asked suddenly, in an attempt to change the subject. "I mean, you can't leave this room until we find you a spare and the whole team is out there so…"

Dick shrugged nonchalantly, to Wally's surprise.

"I'll just wear my mask, even though that's annoying. Or…" here he cast Wally a sidelong glance of full on puppy-dog eyes. "Or, you could head down to the nearest CVS store and buy me a cheap, temporary pair…" Dick left the sentence hanging. Wally groaned.

"You're such a pain in the ass," he said, affectionately tousling Dick's hair. "You're going to make my butt freeze off in the cold out there."

"You're a speedster," Dick countered, grinning because he knew his game was already won. He patted down the hair Wally had mussed up.

Wally didn't reply; he just shot out the door and headed for the zeta tubes. A delicious smell from the kitchen made him skid to a stop, though. He walked casually over to where the three girls were lounging against the counter flipping through a magazine. They didn't appear to take notice of him; instead they all pointed to a picture he couldn't see and burst into giggles. Wally rolled his eyes and peered into the oven. The pie must have been finished while he was speaking with Dick, and was now baking happily away. He inhaled the scent deeply, feeling his stomach rumble. Someone rapped his hand sharply with a spoon, however, as he reached out to open the door to the oven.

"Don't. Touch." Artemis jabbed the spoon at him threateningly and the redhead retreated, cradling his injured knuckles.

Muttering something about a 'chill pill', he grabbed his coat from the rack and pulled it on, disappearing into the zeta tubes.

'**Recognized: Kid Flash B-0-3'**, the monotone female voice announced. No more than thirty seconds later, the zeta tubes glowed yellow again.

'**Recognized: Kid Flash B-0-3'. **He had, of course, left some money on the shop counter. Heroes don't steal, even when it's like negative fifty outside. Flourishing the new pair of sunglasses, he strode past his teammates as they turned to look at him quizzically.

"Rob smashed his shades," he explained unhelpfully, propping the new ones on his face as he did so. He disappeared in a blur of color and collapsed on Dick's bed. How did the kid _live_ every day with these things on? They made everything so dark… You can't enjoy life from behind a pair of shades. Maybe his real ones were some kind of one-way glass. Or maybe he just had really good vision in the dark, like the namesake of his mentor. Wally turned to grin at his best friend from behind the dark glasses, assuming a cocky air.

"You look ridiculous. _So_ not your style," the boy told him, plucking them from Wally's nose and setting them on his own face.

"_Dude!_" he exclaimed indignantly. Dick went into the adjacent bathroom to inspect himself in the mirror.

"Eh, not the best, but they'll do. I miss the x-ray vision, though," echoed Dick's voice from around the corner.

Wally spluttered. "You have _x-ray _vision?" Dick's trademark cackle preceded him out the door. He patted the speedster's shoulder.

"Just messing with you." Wally didn't know whether he should believe him or not, so he shrugged off his hand tetchily.

"Thanks, bro," Dick added then, sincerely. Wally knew that was the most appreciation he would get for running out in below freezing temperatures to buy him a new pair of shades. But this was Robin, not M'gann, anyway… he'd take what he got. Wally smiled.

"So… that means you're going to take them off, right? I didn't go out there and waste seven dollars and not even get to see your eyes again?" Wally prodded. He frowned, perplexed, when Dick's ears turned red and he didn't quite meet Wally's green gaze.

"Uh…" Dick walked over to where he had left his utility belt and slung it around his shoulder, his back to Wally. The redhead knew he always kept that thing on him, even in his civvies.

"Don't tell me you're self-conscious about your eyes," Wally snickered, leaning back against the headboard. "Come on, I'm your bro." Dick pulled his black jacket on, covering the belt.

"Well, if you stop comparing them to the Caribbean, then maybe I will," came Dick's quiet reply, with a hint of some emotion Wally couldn't place. He froze and bit his lip.

"Oh… crap. I _did_ say that out loud, didn't I? Sorry man…" Wally wondered what else he had said. He blushed again. Dick smiled softly to himself and pulled off the glasses, tossing them unceremoniously on the floor. He stared at them for a moment, then picked them up and laid them on his desk. Apparently, he didn't want to run the risk of stepping on them again.

"No worries, Kid Mouth," he said, turning to smirk at Wally. Wally threw a sock at him. The speedster let out a yelp of surprise when a pillow smacked into his face immediately afterward. Geeze, normal humans weren't supposed to be able to chuck pillows that fast. 'Course, Dick couldn't exactly be classified as a 'normal human'. This exchange soon turned into a full-blown pillow fight, in which Dick soon had the upper hand. But Wally didn't mind. In fact, he was glad Dick was acting normal again after the awkward turn in their conversation.

"I win," the Boy Wonder crooned in a sing-song voice, his breath on Wally's ear. Dick had pinned Wally's arms above his head with one hand, was straddling his back, and had sandwiched the redhead's face between a fluffy pillow and the mattress.

"_Geboffme!_" yelled Wally incoherently, his voice swallowed by the mattress. It smelled of Dick; a strange combination of cinnamon and something dark that characterized Gotham. Wally speculated how he knew what Dick smelt like.

"Come again?" laughed Dick, only tightening his hold. Wally struggled harder, seeing as he was actually starting to suffocate. How humiliating… He could see tomorrow's headlines: _Kid Flash, Central City's hero, asphyxiated last night by a pillow in vigilante Robin's bed._ Okay that just sounded… disturbing. Dick's chuckle turned into a yelp of surprise (which Wally found rather endearing) as the speedster started to vibrate his molecules rather violently. He was quickly released as the black haired boy jumped off him, giving Wally a weird look.

"Don't ever do that again, that was just… freaky," he told him, shaking his head as if to get rid of the feeling. Wally grinned mischievously, his eyes glinting.

"Who would have thought the Boy _Wonderful_ would ever consider something 'freaky'," Wally sniggered, using his pet name for Robin. Dick's eyes widened comically as Wally lunged at him, catching him by surprise (for once). He encased the boy's smaller frame in his vibrating arms, crushing him to his chest, then pinned Dick's hands to his side to stop him reaching his utility belt. He knew the gist of Robin's fighting technique: without his utility belt Wally at least would have a chance. Dick made some weird sound between a laugh and a groan, unable to move because of the tingly feeling shooting through his body. This was both because of Wally's vibrations and because of his sudden close proximity to his friend.

"I win," Wally chuckled, echoing Dick's previous phrase. That must have hit a nerve because Dick growled, spun around within Wally's hold and kneed him in the guts, making him collapse on the floor in an ungainly heap.

"In your dreams, Flash Boy," Dick cackled. Wally choked for breath and playfully glared at him. Yeah, in his dreams. He knew it would be a miracle the day he beat Robin in hand to hand combat, even with a vibrating power that seemed to temporarily incapacitate his friend.

They fell back onto the fluffy black and red duvet that covered Dick's bed. Seriously, the kid needed to get more color variety in his room. Everything, _everything, _was black, red or yellow. Besides the walls; they were beige. Though, that could be classified as 'yellow' too, right? Wally swept his gaze across the room, from the double-doors of his walk in closet to the hidden cubby in the opposite wall where Dick stashed his… uh, gay porn magazines? Wally had no idea what he kept in there. It had never been opened in his presence. He wondered if Dick being Batman's 'son' was the reason why he got the best room here in Mount Justice. At least, it was bigger than his.

"Do you want to play a video game?" Wally asked, turning his head to look at Dick. The younger boy lay sprawled on his back, his hands locked behind his head, and his eyes were closed. Wally marveled at the striking contrast between his long, dark lashes and his pale cheek. Dick groaned softly at Wally's suggestion, however.

"I dunno Wally… kind of not up to it," he murmured, shifting slightly. Wally was suddenly reminded of the jagged cut in Robin's cape, as well as the blood spatters on his bright yellow utility belt. He sat up quickly. Crime-fighting was not without its penalties, especially for someone like Robin.

"Are you okay?" he asked hurriedly. Dick opened an eye, gauging Wally's concerned expression. He sighed.

"Just some scratches and a couple bruised ribs, nothing big." His voice sounded tired, and Wally frowned. Why hadn't he said so earlier? He'd been rough-housing with him this whole time; that could have led to a more severe injury. Wally was about to tell him just that, but he was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Robin? Are you in there?" M'gann's voice sounded, muffled by the sound-proof door. Dick jumped off the bed and slipped his glasses on in one fluid move before opening the door for her.

"Yes, M'gann?" he questioned, leaning against the door frame. She peered over his shoulder to see Wally slumped on the bed and smiled.

"The pie is finished, we wanted to invite everyone to have a plate," she explained, stepping away from the door. Good thing she did, because Wally shot out of it the second the words left her lips. Dick was shoved roughly into the doorway by the speedster's passage where he grunted, fingering the hidden bandages on his side subconsciously. Wally's concern for his friends only lasted until the next mention of food, apparently.

"Well, that sure got someone's attention," Dick murmured, following him out and closing the door behind him. Honestly, he would much rather just curl up in his big fluffy bed and go to sleep. Even the delicious scent wafting through the hallway from the kitchen failed to rouse his appetite. He was freezing cold, and really sleepy, and battered up so his bones ached with every step. But he knew it would hurt M'gann feelings if he refused her cooking. Besides, it was nice of the girls to share their creation with the rest of the team anyway. So he pulled his hoodie tighter around himself and followed the Martian into the kitchen, sitting down heavily on the barstool.

**~x~**

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**Author's Note: **Okay, pointless chapter is pointless… I'm sorry. I kinda just started writing without planning it out, so this is like a huge long ramble with none of the awaited slash/fluff. I hate you writers block… Next chapter will spice things up, hopefully! Hope you liked it at least for the Wally/Dick bro time.

Please **review and follow!** **Reviewers will get a teaser sample from chapter two XD**

And be sure to check out the **poll **on my profile too! You guys rock ^^


	2. Erif Nrub, Nordlauc Elbbub!

**Author's Note: **Jeeze, I'm so sorry this took so long guys… I just had a really horrible writers block on it. Couldn't get any motivation. Sorry if this chapter isn't up to standards… I tried ;w;

However, I just wanted to give you all a huge big thanks for the lovely response on the first chapter! 28 reviews? You guys rock so much *hugs all around*

There'll be some Supermartian in this chapter too, sorry if you don't like that. It won't be the focus of the fic though, obviously.

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**Your Lap Is So Very Comfortable – Part II: "Erif Nrub, Nordlauc Elbbub!"**

**~x~**

_{Mount Justice,_

_January 18, 22:08 EDT}_

While Dick was trying to make himself comfortable on the cold surface of the barstool alongside Connor, Wally was shooting around the room in a frenzy because the sweet scent of apple pie made it impossible to keep still. Artemis, huddled on the couch, followed his path with narrowed eyes, but he didn't take any notice of her. M'gann held a kitchen knife in her hand, eyeing the pie. She calculated how big she should cut each slice so that everyone would have an equal amount… well, maybe she'd make Connor's portion _slightly _larger…

A moment later, Wally flailed wildly in the air and then landed with a heavy thump on the floor because Artemis had stuck a leg out in his path as he passed by, tripping him inelegantly. Grunting in frustration, he rounded on her. No, this was not acceptable. Twice… _twice_ he had fallen on his face in front of everyone, all within a few hours! No way was he ever going to live this down. Robin's snickering from behind him made his fists clench. Oh, Artemis was so going to get it this time.

However, before he could so much as open his mouth, a clinking sound alerted Wally and the rest of them to the team's guardian as this latter entered the room.

"Oh, hello Red Tornado!" M'gann exclaimed, looking up from her pie dish. She seemed about to invite him to the table but remembered in time that he was a robot, and therefore couldn't eat human food. Red Tornado stood quietly in the doorway to the kitchen, seeming to contemplate them. Actually, it was kind of hard to guess what he was thinking, Wally mused. Robots tended to have pretty permanently stoic expressions.

"I thought I might share a piece of advice with you," he started. The team all looked up expectantly, (although Wally found it rather hard to tear his eyes from the plate of steaming pie in M'gann's hand.) "If my knowledge of human activities does not fail me, it seems to be a common occurrence to start a fire on such winter days as today, in order to keep warm," Red Tornado continued. Robin tilted his head curiously to the side in an action similar to his namesake.

"A… fire?" Kaldur repeated, rather bewildered.

"But we don't have a fireplace…" Connor pointed out, swiveling in his chair to face Red Tornado. Instead of answering, the robot turned to the control panel on the wall that regulated the fan, room lighting and the holographic displays. Too bad it didn't have _heating_ on there too, Wally observed bitterly. He tapped a few buttons, and a panel of the wall in the living room slid open silently to reveal a stone fireplace behind it. If Red Tornado had a mouth, Wally was sure he would be smiling at the team's surprised expressions.

"I'll be upstairs in my chamber, should you need me," he said in a monotone voice, turning on his heel and leaving in the direction that he came. The team shifted to look at each other. Wally, for one, jumped out of his seat with sparkling eyes, his uncut slice of pie momentarily forgotten.

"Guys! This is like, the best thing ever! Just what we need! Let's get this thing _staaarted_," he exclaimed, the over-enthusiasm not faked in the least. He started searching around for some wood, or matches, or whatever you did to start a fire... _How _do_ you start a fire, actually_? He soon realized to his joy that the fireplace was already fully stocked; logs sitting in the grate, old starter newspapers lying in a basket beside it along with that iron poker thing that he didn't know the name of. Hey, like with the cooking utensils earlier, he'd never touched a fireplace before, and shouldn't be expected to know the jargon.

"Is this wise?" Kaldur interrupted his thoughts, looking pointedly at Miss Martian. Both he and the green-skinned girl had vulnerabilities to fire; he was probably hesitant to put his team into any kind of danger.

"I'm sure we can handle a little fire," Robin said absentmindedly, standing up and walking over to the control panel on the wall. "Besides, if Red suggested it, then there can't be any harm to it..."

"Exactly!" Wally cut in, before Kaldur could reply. "And I'll make sure nothing happens to you, beautiful," he added, winking at M'gann. "Now can someone get over here and help me?" he continued, waving the box of matches around. Zatanna laughed lightly when no one made any move to do so, but then left M'gann's elbow to stare into the empty fireplace.

"I'll take care of it…" she murmured, eyebrows furrowing in concentration as she held her palms out in front of her. "_Erif nrub, nordlauc elbbub!" _**[1] **A dark yellow and orange flame burst out of thin air, rapidly catching on to the dry logs. Wally stepped back from the searing heat, muttering something about 'stupid magic tricks'. Then again, he couldn't suppress the sigh of contentment that left his lips at the sudden warmth surrounding him.

"You're welcome," Zatanna said, smirking, as she flounced back over to help M'gann sprinkle powdered sugar on top of their slices.

Meanwhile, Robin had been examining the control panel by the door with a frown on his face. How had he not known that there was a _fireplace _in the Mountain? He was Robin. Not knowing something major like that hurt his ego. Fingers tapped lightly over the keys as he searched for a database of all the codes one could enter. Soon however, reckless curiosity overrode common sense, and so he randomly typed in a combination. The jarring sound of metal sliding over metal as something moved under the floor made the light conversation in the room abruptly come to a stop.

"Rob? What the hell was—whoa!" The speedster sprang backwards and the archer leapt off the couch as the floor in the middle of the room shifted, sliding smoothly away to reveal a sleek, black, cylindrical object, pointed towards the ceiling. Artemis had her collapsible crossbow fitted and aimed at the foreign object, and the rest of the team was in various stages of a fighting stance. Robin only cackled.

"Seriously guys, chillax. It's just a… a telescope," he realized with a touch of surprise. M'gann floated over to the eyepiece, suspicious yet curious, and peeled back the cover. This must have triggered something, because the domed ceiling of the living room opened outward, giving them a clear view of the indigo sky dotted with sparkling stars. Winter always made the night sky look sharper.

"Mount Justice is an observatory?" Artemis asked herself, pocketing her crossbow with a huff and stepping attentively forward. Wally on the other hand was not impressed. It was the middle of _January _in probably the _coldest _day in the year and Robin just had to make the whole ceiling _disappear? _He shivered violently as the cold night air slowly cascaded downwards, dispelling the ridiculously small amount of heat that had gathered over the last few hours. Okay, maybe he was being overly dramatic, but it really was starting to get colder. And seeing as it was cold before, it was really starting to get _freezing _now.

"Connor look! I can see Mars from here!" the green-skinned girl exclaimed brightly all of a sudden, all her attention focused on the sky visible through the lens of the telescope.

"Perhaps… we could leave this for a warmer night…?" suggested Kaldur, glancing in particular at Artemis and Zatanna who were visibly shivering, and Robin who was not, but who was probably equally as cold. The other metas in the team didn't seem to be as affected by the temperature (except for Kid Flash, but he always exaggerated everything, thought Kaldur in slight amusement).

"O-oh, yeah, sorry!" M'gann stepped away quickly, though her eyes lingered on the tapestry of stars above their head as Robin hacked the control panel again and hid them out of sight. Wally sighed in relief, scooting closer to the fire to warm himself up again, and watching without really seeing as the telescope was returned to its hidden place under the floor, silent except for a low whirring noise. He didn't have anything against stargazing… in fact, the inner romantic in him quite took to the idea, but just not in this weather. He wanted pie, and fire, and eating pie in front of the fire. With this thought in mind, he opened his mouth to remind M'gann about the pastry that was long-overdue for its rendezvous with his stomach, but someone else spoke before he could.

"Do you miss it?" Connor asked suddenly. "Mars, I mean. Do you want to go back?" Wally turned his back on the fire, curious to hear M'gann's reply. Especially since he'd wondered that himself several times. The Martian hesitated a moment, then ducked her head down trying to formulate her thoughts.

"In a way… there are things on Mars that I miss, but… going back? I don't think I want to go back, at least not yet. I'm… I feel like 'Megan Morse' defines me more right now than 'M'gann M'orzz' does…" She trailed off, glancing up to meet Connor's blue eyes. He shrugged nonchalantly, tossing the next words over his shoulder as he sat down heavily in the armchair in front of the blank TV: "I'm glad you're not leaving then."

M'gann blushed, tucking a strand of red hair behind her ear. Wally rolled his eyes, sighing in defeat. Ever since his sixteenth birthday he knew M'gann and Connor had a thing for each other, and he wished they would just get over the 'blushing schoolgirl' phase and get together for real. If they were officially a couple, then maybe he'd be inclined to stop flirting with her at all possible moments. Not that he ever even meant a thing that he said…

"Oh! The pie; it's getting cold!" M'gann cried, mirroring Wally's own thoughts. She zoomed off into the kitchen at such a fast pace that even the speedster of the team was surprised. Thankfully, it seemed that since she had left the dish next to the still-warm oven, the pie hadn't cooled down all that much despite their recent distractions. Her movements hasty to make up for being neglectful, M'gann floated six plates over to each member of the team, taking the last slice for herself.

Wally caught the plate out of the air before the telekinetic could drop it, and then brought it lovingly to his nose so he could inhale the sweet scent of cinnamon apple pie. "Mmm…"

"KF, stop making out with your pie and get over here," someone's laughing voice brought him out of his reverie and he blinked, looking up to see Robin flopping down on the sofa and patting the seat next to him. Wally was at his side in an instant, carefully keeping his plate parallel to the ground.

"Who ever said I'd want to sit next to you?" he retorted with a grin, contradicting his words a second later when he collapsed onto the cushion next to his friend. The rest of the team joined them then; Artemis and Zatanna sitting cross-legged on the carpet in front of the fire, Connor in the armchair with M'gann curled by his feet so she wouldn't be too close to the hot blaze, Kaldur in the rocking chair opposite them, and Wally and Robin on the sofa of course.

"Bon appetit," said Zatanna, signaling them to dig in.

Wally grabbed a fork and made to shovel the slice into his mouth. However, he hadn't even closed his lips around the first mouthful when some slender fingers grabbed his wrist, holding him back. He looked up at Robin in undisguised irritation.

"What _now_!?" the redhead snapped. First Robin had humiliated Wally in front of everyone as he face-planted on his way to greet him, then he'd made Wally's butt freeze off when he went running around buying him new sunglasses, then he'd been caught calling Dick's eyes pretty (he still wasn't over that), then he'd delayed Wally's pie eating; first by bringing out the telescope, and now grabbing onto his hand… He was kind of annoyed with Robin today, to say the least.

The younger boy jerked back quickly at his tone, dropping Wally's wrist abruptly and leaving it feeling oddly cold as a result. Funny, his hand had felt perfectly fine before Dick had touched it. The speedster immediately regretted his words at the look on Robin's face; inwardly cursing his idiotic metabolism that made him grumpy and irritable when he hadn't eaten in a while.

"Jeeze man, I just wanted to stop you from inhaling the whole thing in one bite. You realize M'gann only cut you _one _slice, so... savor it." Robin huffed sulkily, turning his head away to glare into the fire. Wally watched him for a moment, noticing how the firelight caught in the strands of unkempt ebony hair on the top of his head, and reflected off his dark glasses like they were twin mirrors. He sighed, then picked up his fork for the second time, and cut off a small piece of his pie. Taking Robin's advice, he forced himself to chew each morsel, to really _taste _it, and only then swallow. Despite his best efforts, he still finished first out of all of them. But, somehow, he felt as if he were more satisfied than he would have been had he just 'inhaled the whole thing in one bite'.

Wally watched out of the corner of his eye as Robin picked at his plate, not really eating much. What was his problem now? The pie was positively delicious, one of the girls' best results so far, and anyone would be a fool not to think so.

"Mmm, it's lovely, girls," murmured Wally, setting his empty plate down on the coffee table. "Not as lovely as you, but close enough." Robin groaned at his lame flirting, and Wally flashed him a smirk.

"You gonna eat that pie?" he asked the Boy Wonder, feigning nonchalance.

"I told you to savor _your_ piece. And yes, I am." Robin slapped Wally's hand away, (when had his hand even moved?), and held the plate out of reach.

"I did!" replied Wally indignantly. And it was true; he had relished it a lot more than usual. Maybe not as much as a normal human could have done, but for him, it was impressive. "You're not going to eat it, I can tell."

"Yes… I am."

"No you're not. You're just pushing it around on your plate. Give it to me, it'll get cold otherwise," Wally stretched out a hand tentatively; waiting to see how far he could go before Robin reacted. He smirked this time when his hand was slapped, a few inches from the rim of the Boy Wonder's plate. Robin was so much fun to provoke sometimes.

"Even if I _don't_ eat it, you're still not getting it. And I totally am going to eat it, just saying," Robin continued their banter, holding the plate above his head.

"Ouch, that's cold even for you bro. And you're gonna to hurt Meg's, Artie's, and Zee's feelings if you don't let someone eat it." As he spoke, he poked Robin's stomach in an attempt to make him flinch and drop the plate so Wally could grab it. No such luck though; Robin seemed to be immune to tickles and pokes.

"I _am _going to eat it, once you stop bugging me." Robin was fighting back a grin, Wally could tell from the mischievous glint in his dark glasses.

"No, you're not-"

"Oh my God will you two shut up! What are you, like, _five?" _cut in Artemis, tugging in exasperation at her thick blond pony-tail. The two boys gave in to laughter, and exchanged a brofist. Robin did end up eating most of his pie in the ensuing hush, though he slipped a part of it surreptitiously onto Wally's plate when the speedster wasn't looking.

Wally had turned towards Kaldur, expectantly. Even though they weren't in costume, and this wasn't a mission, all tasks of leadership generally fell onto the Atlantean's shoulders, whether he wanted it or not. But he didn't complain; he'd been chosen as leader and the others gravitated towards him naturally. He was just glad that he and Robin had set aside their disagreements about who leads, at least for the time being. It made for a team that ran much smoother.

"Does anyone have any suggestions for what to do now?" Kaldur asked in response to Wally's silent plea, looking around the room. (It was then that the speedster discovered the half-a-pie slice on his previously empty plate, and shot his best friend a million-watt grin.)

"Oh, I know! We could tell each other stories, I've seen Earth people doing that around campfires…" M'gann proposed, floating everyone's empty plates to the kitchen into a half-hazard pile on the counter. She'd deal with cleaning up later. They all agreed unanimously to her idea. Telling stories on a cold winter night in front of the fire with their bellies full of cinnamon apple pie… it sounded perfect.

Zatanna started. The team discovered that the magician was a very good story-teller; she spun webs of prose almost as well as she did spells. Wally honestly couldn't say he was paying much attention though. He closed his eyes, leaning back against the couch. He focused on Zatanna's expressive voice rather than her actual words, letting the warmth of the fire seep into him and relax his muscles.

Artemis was chosen to go next. She hesitated a moment, her head bowed as strands of blonde hair fell across her face. She began her tale, her voice starting out blank and expressionless, but gradually turning more passionate. It didn't take him long to realize it was an abridged version of the well-known fantasy story _Alice in Wonderland. _Wally wanted to ask her why she chose that particular one, but something in the way she told it stopped him from making some kind of snide remark about the children's book.

When it was Connor's turn, it came to no surprise when he simply 'passed'. Wally didn't know the extent of what the genomes had taught him, or if it included fairytales and the art of story-telling, but even if they had it was against the clone's nature to hold a monologue.

The speedster had started to doze off during M'gann's story, not because it was bad, but because the atmosphere in the room was just so warm and comfortable it was hard to stay awake. He slumped against the small warm body of his best friend who occupied the seat next to him. Kaldur may have put his two cents in about an Atlantean fairytale too, but Wally hadn't listened to that either.

He did, however, snap back awake when Robin started on his story. The Boy Wonder sprang up confidently, apparently having planned this out from the beginning. Wally smirked when he realized it was going to be a ghost story, but that grin slowly turned into a tight smile of uneasiness as Robin continued. The sleepy feeling in the room was quickly dispelled as everyone's eyes grew wide. Trust Robin to be the one to come up with a freaky ghost story that made everyone, even Wally, shiver.

Robin was as good a story teller as Zatanna, if not better. He had left the sofa and stood silhouetted in front of the fire, the gestures of his hands painting shadows of flickering firelight on the walls that only added to the creepy mood. His eyes behind the glasses flickered from one to the other, somehow making eye-contact with each of them despite his disguise. He told his tale at a perfect pace, not rushing through it like M'gann, but not dragging out every little detail either. The team was on the edge of their seats the entire time, and when Robin came to the dramatic ending (smoke bomb thrown into the middle of the room, and him ninjaing away included), they all jumped about a foot in the air. Wally wondered if Dick had learned how to manipulate an audience like this from his time at the circus… weren't gypsies known for their story-telling skills too? Besides, being a performer from the moment he was born, this was probably only natural for him. Whatever, Wally couldn't help but think that Robin's had been by far the best out of all of them.

Not wanting to ruin the good mood Robin had created, Wally refrained from telling his own probably pathetic story. No one pressed him either; they were all pretty wiped out. The fire popped, and the team fell into a comfortable silence. In the meantime, Robin had returned to the couch next to Wally, and was leaning against him lightly. Before he knew what he was doing, the redhead had wrapped an arm around Dick's smaller shoulders to pull him closer.

Robin took that as invitation to flop down on top of him, snuggling his face into Wally's yellow shirt as he slid further down till he was practically lying in his lap. He yawned, then kicked off his shoes and pulled his feet up onto the cushions, curling into a ball with his head pillowed on Wally's thighs. He wrapped his arms around Wally's waist, his nose buried in the loose folds of the speedster's clothing.

Wally frowned at him, not quite knowing how he should react.

"What are you doing?" he asked quietly, noticing how Robin's lips quirked up into a small smile.

"Mya? You're just so nice and warm…" mumbled Dick, voice softly clouded and sleep-laced. He tightened his hold around Wally's middle as he spoke. Wally scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment, his ears turning pink. Robin was kind of cute when he was half-asleep like this and not aware of what he was saying, but it was also kind of…. Wait, cute? Had he just called Robin cute? Well, it was the truth anyway, even if he'd never admit it out loud. If he didn't know any better, he'd almost think they were cuddling.

The boy in his lap shifted slightly, his hoodie riding up and exposing what should have been his smooth pale side, but which was now covered in slightly blood-stained bandages. Wally's eyes bugged. His movements slow and careful so as not to disrupt the half-asleep boy, he lifted the hem of Robin's shirt and ran his fingers lightly over the tight bandages covering Robin's ribs. How had he forgotten? Dick had told him earlier that evening that he was injured… what had he said again? Bruised ribs? Something like that. Wally felt guilt twist in his stomach as he dropped the edge of the boy's green hoodie, hiding the red-stained white dressings. He felt horrible for completely forgetting… all because of his damn insatiable stomach.

"Rob?" he asked, looking down into the younger boy's face. He couldn't tell if he was awake or not though because of his shades, but he assumed the latter when Robin didn't answer. Wally sighed, pulling him more comfortably into his lap yet careful not to jostle him. Who cared if their current position was kind of awkward; he owed it to Dick. Besides, it didn't even feel wrong having him lying there, wrapped up close. Both of them were used to close body contact anyway; Wally was always a touchy-feely kind of guy, and he knew that Robin liked it each time they brohugged or patted each other on the shoulder. This wasn't all that different… right?

Wally glanced drowsily around the room. Artemis and Zatanna were talking in low voices in front of the fire, their faces close together so they wouldn't disturb anyone. As he watched, Zatanna yawned and Artemis pulled her close so that her head rested on the blonde's shoulders. M'gann had fallen asleep by Connor's feet, and the clone was gently running his fingers through her hair in a steady rhythm. Wally hadn't thought the Boy of Steel's movements could be so gentle, but obviously he was proven wrong. Kaldur was staring thoughtfully into the fire, a faraway expression on his face. His mind was probably off in Atlantis with Tula and Garth, Wally mused.

The fire popped loudly into the contented silence they were swathed in. Robin's glasses had slipped down his nose when he had snuggled into Wally's shirt, leaving his closed eyes visible for Wally to see, and the speedster was once again struck by how long Dick's lashes were, splayed out dark against his pale cheek. His light weight felt so comfortable and right on Wally's lap, his body radiating out warmth. Wally slipped his own hands around the younger boy, his eyes fighting to stay open.

Robin smiled through his sleep-induced haze, sighing out through his nose. The ache in his bones from his latest mission with Batman had all but gone, replaced with a warm fuzzy feeling from the warmth of the fire and the feeling of Wally's strong arms holding him.

Man, how he loved times like these, thought Wally to himself. Relishing the moments the team could share together; comfortable, companionable. Where there was nothing to stress out about either; no missions or schoolwork or family problems or heavy secrets. Just… hanging out like normal teenagers. Don't get him wrong, he loved the exhilaration of the whole hero gig, but sometimes it was nice to forget who they all were, and just be _friends _instead of only _colleagues. _

His last thought before he drifted off into the land of dreams was how soft Dick's hair was, sliding through his fingers.

**~x~**

* * *

**[1]: **"_Fire burn, cauldron bubble!" _Just in case Zatanna's spells give you headaches like they do to me XD That's an actual spell that she uses in the show, though, so I didn't come up with it ^^ It's the title of this chapter too, in case that's not obvious xD

By the way, I drew a picture to go along with this chapter, it can be found on my deviantart page (link on my profile).

**Review** and tell me what you think… Please, feedback is appreciated. Don't hesitate to point out things that you liked or felt need to be worked on too, I'll never get better if you don't.

And don't forget to check out the **poll **on my profile too if you haven't already! Thank you all ;)


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